By Jill Williams
RyZan Sun Racing LLC and Madaket Stables LLC's Mission of Joy (m, 5, Kitten's Joy–Smart Mission, by Smart Strike), whose last graded win was two years ago, moved west this summer to Phil D'Amato's barn and must like the weather and the firm turf that's a hallmark of California grass racing. In her third Golden State start, she captured Saturday's GII Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in four weeks.
It was a clean start for the field, with Alpha Bella (Justify) setting a :23.63 and :48.44 pace en route to a 1:37.36 mile while Mission of Joy took her time near the rear of the field from the inside. Coming into the lane, Mission of Joy–still in sixth–tipped to the extreme outside, passing all late while Speed Shopper (Quality Road), who had sat just off the pace before taking over from Alpha Bella in midstretch, and Starry Heavens (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who ran evenly in third throughout, finished second and third, respectively. Alpha Bella weakened to fourth in the final sixteenth. Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}) was pulled up on the backstretch, walking off under her own power.
Winning by a head, Mission of Joy completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.03.
“She just has one style and that usually gets her the best outcome, to kind of sit back and come with a run,” said winning trainer D'Amato. “Whether it works out or not, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't, but today it did. I think also, she came from back east and the owner said that every time they ran her on a firm turf course she ran a better race. We get plenty of that in California and that has helped her out as well.”
Ryan Zabrowski purchased Mission of Joy at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale for $32,000 and originally campaigned her with Dan Zabrowsk under their RyZan Sun Racing banner. Madaket Stables bought in after she broke her maiden at Tampa Bay Downs in December, 2022.
A long-time fixture in the Graham Motion barn, Mission of Joy has captured the 2023 GIII Regret Stakes and GIII Florida Oaks as well as placed in four other graded races, including the 2023 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes and the 2024 GI Just a Game Stakes. She had a nearly two-year drought between visits to the winner's circle, finally winning a $100,000 optional allowance at Churchill Downs this past April in her first non-black-type appearance since moving through her conditions in early 2023. After two off-the board finishes when returning to stakes company, RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables shipped Mission of Joy to D'Amato's barn in California. Her first start for D'Amato yielded a sixth in the GII Yellow Ribbon Handicap in August, but she improved to third in the GII John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar in her last out Sept. 6. The Rodeo Drive marked just her second career try at 1 1/4 miles. The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is run at 1 3/8 miles when it's contested at Del Mar.
Pedigree Notes:
Mission of Joy is one of 58 graded winners and 120 black-type winners for the late Kitten's Joy, twice the leading general sire in the U.S. who also held a regular top spot on the leading turf sire list. Kitten's Joy, who stood the final years of his career at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, passed away from an apparent heart attack in 2022.
Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, Mission of Joy is out of the winning Smart Strike mare Smart Mission. The late Smart Strike, also bred by Sam-Son, has 210 stakes winners out of his daughters. Smart Mission, sold in foal to Omaha Beach at the 2021 Keeneland January sale for $160,000 to P L W, has an unplaced 2-year-old colt named Swerve (Tonalist) and a Feb. 11-foaled colt by Nyquist. She has been bred back to Not This Time for 2026. Smart Mission is a half-sister to dual Canadian champion Irish Mission (Giant's Causeway).
#5 MISSION OF JOY ($25.80) comes flying down the outside under @umbyrispoli to win the $200,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2) and earn a spot in the @BreedersCup F&M Turf. The daughter of Kitten's Joy is trained by @PhilDamato11. pic.twitter.com/zDDbcE3D0L
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 4, 2025
Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GII, $201,500, Santa Anita, 10-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:00.03, fm.
1–MISSION OF JOY, 122, m, 5, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Smart Mission, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Misty Mission, by Miswaki
3rd Dam: Hangin On a Star, by Vice Regent
($32,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-RyZan Sun Racing, LLC and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Umberto Rispoli. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 21-6-0-4, $680,667. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Speed Shopper, 122, f, 4, Quality Road–Fast Retailing, by Malibu Moon. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($430,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $95,000 RNA 3yo '24 KEENOV). O-Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber; B-AR Enterprises, LLC. & Edward Easton (KY); T-William Walden. $40,000.
3–Starry Heavens (Ire), 122, m, 5, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Etoile Filante (GB), by So You Think (Nz). O-R Unicorn Stable; B-Healthy Wood Co Ltd (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $24,000.
Margins: HD, HF, 1. Odds: 11.90, 14.50, 3.90.
Also Ran: Alpha Bella, Amber Cascade, Long Ago (GB), Hang the Moon, Watchtower.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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